Firearm safety system

ABSTRACT

A firearm safety system and method is disclosed. The firearm safety system includes motion and location sensors in a device that is attached to a firearm. When the motion sensor detects movement, it causes the location sensor to send a notification to the owner of the firearm on a mobile device or another computing platform. The owner interacts with an application receiving the notification to take steps to prevent the misuse of the firearm.

PRIORITY

This application claims priority to provisional application U.S. Ser. No. 62/308,663 filed Mar. 15, 2016 titled Gun Safety Application That Informs The Gun Owner If And When A Gun Has Been Moved.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates generally to preventing unauthorized use of a firearm and more particularly to a device and method for notifying a firearm owner when the firearm is moved.

BACKGROUND

Gun violence is widely recognized as a serious problem. Although shootings in public receive much attention from the media, there is also a significant issue with children and youth who are accidentally shot in a home by legally owned guns. Some studies have shown that as many as 10,000 kids under the age of 19 are killed or injured each year. An incredible 89% of unintentional injuries and death of children from loaded firearms happen in the home because owners are unaware that the firearm was found or is being handled by a child. Gun violence is the second leading cause of death, among children and teens. Children exposed to gun violence at home, at school, in the community, or through the media can experience negative psychological effects including posttraumatic stress, poor school performance, increased delinquency, substance abuse, and desensitization to violence. All of these effects can make children and youth more prone to violence themselves. Guns in the home are a major public health risk.

Current methods of increasing firearm safety in the home include locking the firearm in a safe and using a fingerprint control device so that only a person with a matching fingerprint can pull the trigger. However, many firearm owners are uncomfortable with these solutions and find they do not meet their needs. A firearm locked in a safe is not readily available at short notice. Fingerprint control devices can be tricky to use and are not always reliable, especially in an emergency situation.

Thus, a need exists for a firearm safety system that is convenient to use and can be attached to or incorporated with a firearm to detect motion and allow a user to know if the firearm has been moved. There is also a need for a firearm safety system controls the operation of the firearm by detecting information about individuals at which the firearm is aimed.

SUMMARY

The invention in one implementation encompasses a firearm safety system and method including motion and location sensors in a device attached to a firearm. When the motion sensor detects movement, it causes the location sensor to send a notification to the owner of the firearm on a mobile device or other computing platform. In a further embodiment, the invention provides a system and method for detecting characteristics about an individual at which the firearm is aimed, including body surface area and the presence of another firearm. These characteristics are used to control the operation of a trigger mechanism of the firearm, providing additional safety.

In an embodiment, the invention encompasses a firearm safety system having a component coupled to a firearm, the component further including a Global Positioning System (GPS) sensor, a motion sensor, and a controller; and an application on a computing device that is wirelessly coupled to the controller for displaying a location of the firearm.

In a further embodiment of the firearm safety system, the component is separate from the firearm and operatively coupled to the firearm by a user or integrally coupled inside a body of the firearm.

In another embodiment, the component includes interfaces for communicating between the GPS sensor and a satellite and for wirelessly communicating with a computing device.

In further embodiments, the computing device is a mobile device or a tablet.

In another embodiment, the firearm safety system also includes an additional component having a body surface area sensor; a red brass sensor; and a controller such that the additional component detects characteristics of an individual at which the firearm is aimed and controls an operation of a trigger of the firearm.

In an embodiment, the invention encompasses a method of using a firearm safety system, including the steps of attaching a component to a firearm, said component determining a location of the firearm when the firearm is moved; and notifying a user that the firearm has been moved by wirelessly communicating the location to a computing device.

In a further embodiment, the step of determining a location is not performed unless a motion sensor detects movement of the firearm and the location is determined by means of a Global Positioning System (GPS) sensor in communication with a satellite.

In another embodiment, the step of notifying the user further comprises displaying a location of the firearm on a map.

In a further embodiment, the method includes a step of dialing a phone number in response to an input from the user.

In yet another embodiment, the method includes the steps of attaching an additional component to a barrel of the firearm close to a muzzle; detecting a body surface area of an individual at which the firearm is aimed using a first sensor in the additional component; detecting a presence of red brass in the area at which the firearm is aimed using a second sensor in the additional component; and disabling a trigger of the firearm if the first sensor detects the presence of a child and the second sensor does not detect the presence of red brass.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Features of example implementations of the invention will become apparent from the description, the claims, and the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 depicts a firearm with improved safety features according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 depicts a flowchart showing the method of operation of the firearm of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 depicts a schematic block diagram of a processing apparatus of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The invention encompasses a small device that is either attached to a firearm or incorporated within the body of the firearm, which allows its position to be known at all times on a digital map. If the firearm is moved, then the position on the map moves. The device performs this function by communicating with satellites and using the data in terms of latitude and longitude, which the device then translates into a position on a digitally displayed map used with an application on a mobile device. This allows an owner to monitor the location of the owner's firearm through the mobile or another computing device. The application works with the GPS device to capture and display the location of a firearm which has been registered with the application when the firearm is moved. This feature allows the owner to be alerted quickly if a child or other individual has moved or picked up the gun.

In an embodiment, the application also allows the owner to monitor the location of the gun when requested. The feature is also useful if the gun is lost or stolen because the user can identify the location right way and notify the police. The application allows the user to store the phone number of the local police and has a feature to call the police and send the location of the gun to police immediately.

A firearm safety system according to the present invention is shown in FIG. 1. In an embodiment, a conventional firearm 100 includes a handle/grip 10, barrel 12, a muzzle 14 and a trigger 16 as would be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. Although a handgun is shown, the present invention could be used with any type of firearm, for example, a shotgun. A small device 18 includes as least GPS sensor 20 and motion sensor 22. When triggered by motion sensor 22, GPS sensor 20 communicates with a satellite (not shown) to determine the 3-D location of firearm 100 according to latitude, longitude and altitude. This causes a notification to be sent to an owner of firearm 100 indicating the location of firearm 100. Sensors 20 and 22 are incorporated in device 18 that is attached to firearm 100 by an owner or user. In an alternative embodiment, sensors 20 and 22 are incorporated within the body of the firearm, for example, in handle/grip 10. In a representative embodiment, GPS sensor 20 may be any of several sensors manufactured by Chongqing Changjian Technology Co. LTD although any sensor that detects global position could be used.

In a further embodiment, the invention provides a system and method for detecting characteristics about an individual at which the firearm is aimed, including body surface area and the presence of another firearm. These characteristics are used to control the operation of a trigger mechanism of the firearm, providing additional safety. In this embodiment, an additional device 24 is attached to firearm 100. This device incorporates a sensor 26 for detecting a human body's Body Surface Area (BSA) and an additional sensor 28 for detecting red brass. Device 24 allows the detection of situations where a user of the firearm is pointing it at a child or teen. BSA sensor detects the difference between a child or teen and an adult by determining the body surface area. If the sensor determines that the firearm is being aimed at a child or teen, trigger 16 is locked. However, there are some circumstances in which it is preferred that the trigger is not locked, for example, when the person at which the firearm is aimed is also holding a firearm. For this situation, red brass sensor 28 detects the presence of another firearm and overrides BSA sensor 26, allowing the trigger to be operated. Red brass sensor 28 is used because a majority of guns are made of red brass.

Turning to FIG. 2, a flowchart illustrates a method according to the present invention. An owner of a firearm installs the device of FIG. 1 on a firearm and downloads an associated application on a mobile device or another computing device. At step 30, the application is invoked. At step 32, the application determines whether the application has been invoked by a user or by the device. If the application has been invoked by a user, it is determined at step 48 if the user is new. If so, step 50 directs the user to create an account with, for example, a name, password, email and preferred emergency number. If it is not a new user at step 48, the account directs the user to login in at step 36.

At step 38, the user is offered a choice of determining the location of the firearm or updating account or other application information. If the user chooses to locate the firearm, at step 40, a notification is sent to the firearm requesting that the GPS on the device determine its location, which is displayed to the user at step 42. At step 44, the user then is offered a choice whether to call an emergency number at step 46, or to close/end the application at step 54.

If, at step 38, the user chooses to update an account, the application proceeds to step 52 where the user can enter, for example, one or more phone numbers, emails, or emergency numbers, etc. Upon completion, the application ends at step 54.

At step 32, it is determined that the notification comes from the device, at step 34, a notification is displayed to the user displaying the location at step 42. In an embodiment, the notification would be, for example, text message (SMS), photo (MMS), or within app notifications. As described above, from step 42 the method moves to step 44 where the user is offered a choice to call an emergency number at step 46, or to close/end the application at step 54.

A block diagram of an embodiment of the invention is shown in FIG. 3. Firearm device 18 includes GPS sensor 20 and motion sensor 22, as shown in FIG. 1. GPS 20 communicates through interface 64 with satellite 66. Controller 60 interacts with motion sensor 22 and GPS 20 to control and coordinate their functioning. Controller 60 also communicates with network 68 through interface 62. Network 68 is any type of communication network, for example, a wireless network or a telecommunications network. In an embodiment, a similar block diagram would be used for device 24 of FIG. 1.

A computing device 70 is also connected to network 68 through an interface 80. Computing device 70 may be, for example, a mobile device, a tablet or any other type of device capable of receiving and processing communications. CPU 72 communicates with memory 74 and display 78 to execute application 76, with performs the method discussed above with regard to FIG. 2.

The firearm safety system 100 in one example comprises any (e.g., horizontal, oblique, or vertical) orientation, with the description and figures herein illustrating one example orientation of the firearm 100, for explanatory purposes.

If used and unless otherwise stated, the terms “upper,” “lower,” “front,” “back,” “over,” “under,” and similar such terms are not to be construed as limiting the invention to a particular orientation. Instead, these terms are used only on a relative basis.

Although example implementations of the invention have been depicted and described in detail herein, it will be apparent to those skilled in the relevant art that various modifications, additions, substitutions, and the like can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention and these are therefore considered to be within the scope of the invention as defined in the following claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A firearm safety system, comprising: a component coupled to a firearm, the component further comprising: a Global Positioning System (GPS) sensor; a motion sensor; and a controller; and an application on a computing device that is wirelessly coupled to the controller for displaying a location of the firearm.
 2. The firearm safety system of claim 1, wherein the component is separate from the firearm and operatively coupled to the firearm by a user.
 3. The firearm safety system of claim 1, wherein the component integrally coupled inside a body of the firearm.
 4. The firearm safety system of claim 1, wherein the component further comprises an interface for communicating between the GPS sensor and a satellite.
 5. The firearm safety system of claim 1, wherein the component further comprises an interface for wirelessly communicating with a computing device.
 6. The firearm safety of claim 6, wherein the computing device is a mobile device.
 7. The firearm safety system of claim 6, wherein the computing device is a tablet.
 8. The firearm safety system of claim 1, further comprising a additional component, the additional component further comprising: a body mass sensor; a red brass sensor; and a controller; wherein said additional component detects characteristics of an individual at which the firearm is aimed and controls an operation of a trigger of the firearm.
 9. A method of using a firearm safety system, comprising the steps of: attaching a component to a firearm, said component determining a location of the firearm when the firearm is moved; and notifying a user that the firearm has been moved by wirelessly communicating the location to a computing device.
 10. The method of claim 9, wherein the location is determined by means of a Global Positioning System (GPS) sensor in communication with a satellite.
 11. The method of claim 9, wherein the step of determining a location is not performed unless a motion sensor detects movement of the firearm.
 12. The method of claim 9, wherein the step of notifying the user further comprises displaying a location of the firearm on a map.
 13. The method of claim 9, further comprising a step of dialing a phone number in response to an input from the user.
 14. The method of claim 9, further comprising the steps of: attaching an additional component to a barrel of the firearm close to a muzzle; detecting a body surface area of an individual at which the firearm is aimed using a first sensor in the additional component; detecting a presence of red brass in the area at which the firearm is aimed using a second sensor in the additional component; and disabling a trigger of the firearm if the first sensor detects the presence of a child and the second sensor does not detect the presence of red brass. 